Karaoke Dreaming
by serotonin
Summary: Alec learns the lyrics to a song, does some karaoke, and Max...well Max has an epiphany. I NEED YOUR HELP!!!! PLEASE!
1. on my own

Karaoke Dreaming

Alec learns the lyrics to a song, does some karaoke, and Max...well Max has an epiphany. 

Disclaimer: roses are red, violets are blue, me no own, you no sue.

~~

Alec walked down the filthy side streets of Seattle, which were thankfully empty. He didn't like to be around too many destitute people, it made him feel sorry for them, and then he would try and hide the feelings, which would bring back memories of Manticore, which would...

Or he could just start thinking about what would happen, and that would set off the memories. Better just to stay alone, and continue on his way, than be plagued with painful memories of the past, and some from the present.

But Alec didn't like to be alone, it made him think too much. But, instead of going to Crash, like he usually would, he headed in the other direction. He knew that Max and O.C and Sketchy would be at Crash and he didn't really want to be in their company, particularly Max's. Instead, he looked for a club, any club that he could entertain himself in.

Looking around, he saw a few flashing neon lights, illuminating a sign that proclaimed that the club was holding a karaoke contest tonight. _This could be fun_ he thought to himself.

Walking in, he quickly found himself a place at the bar, and ordered a glass of beer. He would order a pitcher, but that would be suspicious. So, instead, he sat and watched as girl after girl pathetically attempted to sing their favourite song. Some were actually really good, others really bad.

After a while, the stream of girls, and a few guys, trickled down, until there was only a few acts left, and another hour of the contest left. The manager was walking around the club, personally looking for more entrants. Eventually, he came to stand next to Alec.

"What do you say, friend? Would you care to join in the festivities and grace us with a song?"

"I can't sing."

"Sure you can. And even if you can't nobody here cares. They're either too drunk to notice, or so used to it that it doesn't bother them anymore. If you've been listening to wannabes for years like I have, you get used to it. So what do you say? I'm sure we can find you a song to sing. Or if you have one in mind, we'll see if we have the CD and lyrics."

"Well..."

"Come on. You can win $50. If you're really good, you could even win more in tips from the crowd. Doesn't happen often, but it does happen."

"Well... I guess I can at least try."

"Good on you. Now come back here and I'll help you find a song. Or do you have one in mind?"  
"No. I don't really know any songs."

"Well I'm sure we can find one for you."

~~

Max had been at Crash for more than two hours, and was now bored out of her brain. O.C. had gone home, Sketchy was plastered on the floor, and Alec hadn't even showed up. So, to kill some time, she went up to talk to the barkeeper.

"Hey, keeper, how about a beer?"

"Sure, anything you want missy."

When he brought it over, he stood and talked to her for a while, cleaning the bench as he talked.

"So, what brings you to be here on your own at 11:30 at night?"

"Don't sleep too much, and all my friends are either dead to the world or asleep."

"Is there a difference?"

"Only the next morning."

"Well, you looking for some action? Because one of the nearby clubs, 'bout a mile north of here, has a karaoke competition on on Thursday nights. Always fun watching people going up and making a fool of themselves."

"Sounds like a laugh, what's the place called?"

"Can't remember sorry, but you'll the place when you see it. Just head on down the next road on your right for about a mile, and you'll come to a cross street. If you turn left there, you'll see it. There'll be lights trying to flash and everything."

"Thanks for the tip. Here's your money."

"Anytime miss, anytime."

Max headed out of the door, and began walking down the street toward the club the guy had talked about. Sure enough, it was where he said it was, and she could see the neon lights attempting to shine. Walking in, she took a seat at the bar, and ordered a beer. 

Watching, Max wondered to herself how a person could get up on a stage and sing to an audience. She certainly couldn't. Grabbing her beer, she decided to sit in one of the corners near the stage, where she would be out of sight to almost everyone, including who ever was on the stage. 

~~

Back stage, Alec looked through a pile of lyrics, looking for a song that he could sing. Finding a potential one, he pulled it out and showed it too the manager, who was helping him.

"Now that's a song we haven't heard her for ages. Last time some one did it, the whole place nearly drowned in tears. That's a sad song sir, I don't know if you want to sing it."

"Oh I do. But, do you mind of I change some of the lyrics? Not a lot."

"That's alright. The guy who wrote is probably dead by now anyway."

"Alright. Can I listen to it once through to see what how it goes first?"  
"Sure. Just go into that room over there and find the CD. It should be in alphabetical order by title. The CD player's in the corner, headphones are next to it."

"Thanks."

~~

(Ten minutes later.)

Max applauded as yet another girl finished her pathetic attempt at a pre-pulse song, A Thousand Miles. She watched as a male walked onto the stage, and stood behind the microphone. With a start, Max realised that it was Alec. _I didn't know Alec did karaoke _she thought to herself as the music began playing. It was haunting music, soft, slow and sad. 

Before he began, he whispered to himself, so softly that Max only just heard him, "This is for you 452." Startled, she looked up at him in confusion, wondering why he would dedicate a song to her.

Alec began to sing, shakily at first, but then with more confidence. His voice was amazing, so soft and sad, fitting in with the tone of the piece so well. The audience came alive, caught up in all the emotions that Alec was able to convey through his voice to them; loneliness, sadness, despair, heartbreak.

And now I'm alone again 

No where to turn, no one to go to

Without a home, without a friend

Without a face to say hello to

And now the night is here 

And I can make believe she's here

Sometimes I walk alone at night when every body else is sleeping

I think of her and then I'm happy with the company I'm keeping

The city goes to bed

And I can live inside my head

On my own 

Pretending she's beside me

All alone I walk with her till morning 

Without her I feel her arms around me 

And when I lose my way I close my eyes 

And she has found me

In the rain the pavement shines like silver 

All the lights are misty in the river 

In the darkness the trees are full of starlight 

And all I see is her and me forever and forever

And I know it's only in my mind 

That I'm talking to myself and not to her 

And although I know that she is blind 

Still I say there's a way for us

I love her 

But when the night is over 

She is gone, the river's just a river 

Without her the world around me changes 

The trees are bare and everywhere the streets are full of strangers

I love her 

But everyday I'm learning 

All my life I've only been pretending 

Without me her world will go on turning 

A world that's full of happiness that I have 

Never known

I love her, I love her

I love her, but only on my own

Finished, Alec looked up at the audience for the first time since he had walked on stage. Every face he could see was tear streaked, many were still openly weeping. Some one started applauding, and, once started, it took a long time to stop. He saw the manager come up, and accepted the prize money that he handed over, all three hundred dollars of it. 

It was only as he walked off the stage that he noticed a face in one of the corners near the stage. Where they were sitting, it would have been impossible for him to see them while on stage. But, now that he had gotten a good look, he turned and ran out the building, tears running down his own face. He should have felt her presence, should have know that she was there. But he hadn't and he had just made the biggest fool out of himself for nothing, in front of her, whom he had sung the song for. 

Max.

~~

THE END.

(Unless you like it and want me to write more, which I am actually willing to do. Please tell me if you think I should continue or not.)


	2. river deep, mountain high

Karaoke Dreaming

Alec learns a song, and does some karaoke, and Max... well Max has an epiphany.

~~

Alec was missing. Max hadn't seen him for nearly a week. No, exactly a week. She had seen him at the bar, where he had sung a song for her. But when he had seen her, he'd run away. Max didn't know where he was. No body knew where he was. And Max was worried. What if he'd got hurt, or captured, or killed? _If he's dead, I'll never forgive him. Or myself._

When she had been sitting in that club, listening to Alec sing that song for her, she had thought that her heart would break. She had no idea that he felt that way about her, or that he felt so...alone. She wanted to see him, to tell him that she was sorry, sorry for hurting him, and sorry for not realizing what she did to him earlier. But she couldn't. She had no idea where to find him or whether he would listen to her even if she did find him.

Walking into Crash, Max looked around. As with every other time she had walked into Crash for a week, he wasn't there. She spotted O.C. and Sketchy though, and walked over to them and sat down. O.C. looked at her for a second, before pouring her a beer.

"Still no sign of your boy?"

"No. And he's not my boy."

"Sure, whateva you say suga."

Tuning out, Max leant back in her chair and listened to the music that was playing. One song finished, and another came on. It was not the kind of music that Crash usually played, but Max listened to it, it's words striking a chord in her brain.

__

Some say love, it is a river  
That drowns the tender reed  
Some say love, it is a razor  
That leaves your soul to bleed  
Some say love, it is a hunger  
An endless aching need  
I say love, it is a flower  
And you it's only seed  
It's the heart, afraid of breaking  
That never learns to dance  
It's the dream, afraid of waking  
That never takes a chance  
It's the one who won't be taken  
Who cannot seem to give  
And the soul, afraid of dying  
That never learns to live  
When the night has been to lonely  
And the road has been too long  
And you think that love is only  
For the lucky and the strong  
Just remember in the winter  
Far beneath the bitter snows  
Lies the seed, that with the sun's love  
In the spring becomes the rose 

Suddenly realizing what she had to do, Max got up and uttered a quick goodbye to O.C. before leaving Crash. She walked down the street for about a mile, and then turned left. Walking into the bar, she looked around for the manager, or anyone who could help her. Quickly spotting the manager, she fought her way over to him.

"You're the manager, right?"

"Sure am. Why?"

"I was just wondering if you had any places left in tonight's karaoke competition?"

"Always have room. Know what you'd like to sing?"

"No idea. I don't know many songs. I can't even sing."

"Had a fella say the same thing last week, and he turned out to be absolutely amazing, brought everyone to tears."

"Is he here this week?"

"Nope. Haven't seen him since. Anyway, come through to the back, and I'll help you find something to sing."

"Sure. Thanks."

Max followed the manager back stage, where she spent the next ten minutes looking through pile after pile of lyrics, looking for one that expressed exactly what she felt. Finally finding one that she liked, she showed it to the manager, to get his opinion.

"It's a good song. Not too fast, but with an upbeat tempo. Good choice."

Max opened her mouth, to ask a question, but before she could the manager cut in.

"If you go into that room over there you'll find the CD. It should be in alphabetical order by title. The CD player's in the corner, headphones are next to it."

"How'd you know..."

"Just a good guess, I suppose. Anyway, you'll probably be on last, so you have about twenty minutes to wait."

"That's fine."

~~

(Twenty minutes later.)

Max walked out onto the stage, and up to the microphone. She scanned the crowd, but there was no sign of Alec.

"You'd better be here. Because this one's for you." She whispered softly, before the music started.

Remembering exactly what the song sounded like, Max began to sing, trying to sing with as much emotion as she could. She tried to do what Alec had done, and place the emotion of the song in the words, and surprisingly, it worked. Although this wasn't a slow sad song like his had been, Max was still able to convey the emotions to the crowd, just as Alec had.

__

When I was a little girl  
I had a rag doll  
Only doll I've ever owned  
Now I love you just the way I loved that rag doll  
But only now my love has grown

And it gets stronger, in every way  
And it gets deeper, let me say  
And it gets higher, day by day

And do I love you my oh my  
Yeah river deep mountain high  
If I lost you would I cry  
Oh how I love you baby, baby, baby, baby

When you were a young boy  
Did you have a puppy  
That always followed you around  
Well I'm gonna be as faithful as that puppy  
No I'll never let you down

Cause it grows stronger, like a river flows  
And it gets bigger baby, and heaven knows  
And it gets sweeter baby, as it grows

And do I love you my oh my  
Yeah river deep, mountain high  
If I lost you would I cry  
Oh how I love you baby, baby, baby, baby

I love you baby like a flower loves the spring  
And I love you baby just like Tina loves to sing  
And I love you baby like a school boy loves his pet

And I love you baby, river deep mountain high  
Oh yeah you've gotta believe me  
River Deep, Mountain High

Do I love you my oh my,   
River deep, mountain high  
If I lost you would I cry  
Oh how I love you baby, baby, baby, baby

Do I love you my oh my,   
River deep, mountain high  
If I lost you would I cry  
Oh how I love you baby, baby, baby, baby

Finished, Max began to walk off stage, only to have the manager stop her. She could hear the crowd going wild; they had loved her performance. The manager gave her some money, how much she didn't care, before letting her go. She walked through the crowd, ignoring the men trying to get her, looking for one person only. 

Walking over to the seat she had sat in the week before, she found him sitting there, head laid on the table. Sitting down, she gently tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up, and then banged his head back down on the table.

"Hey, what's with the self-inflicted harm?"

"Go away Max."

"No. I don't want to."

"Well I want you to. And if you won't go away, then move so I can go."

"Alec, we need to talk."

"We do?"

"Yes, we do."

"About what?"

"Look, will you come outside with me, I can hardly hear myself, let alone you."

"You can hear just fine Max, now what do you want?"

"I want you to come outside so we can talk. Please Alec?"

Alec lifted his head once more, and, once he saw the sincere look on Max's face, he nodded, and got up. Max led the way outside, and they walked into an alleyway, where they could talk.

"Where's Logan?" Alec asked.

"Why would Logan be here?"

"Isn't that who you were singing for? Logan?"

"You stupid idiot. You don't get it do you?"

"Get what?"

"I wasn't singing for Logan just then."

"Then who were you singing for?"

"You."

~~

There you have it, the second installment. There probably won't be many more chapters, but at least two more.

Oh, StreetSaga1209, I didn't write the song, it's from the musical Les Miserables, and I have no idea who wrote it.

Thanks everyone for reviewing. Please do it again.


	3. HELP PLEASE

I NEED YOUR HELP  
  
Because I have so many other stories going at the minute, I really don't have time to update them all. Some of my older ones haven't been updated in months and at the minute they are my top priority. If any one of you would like to continue this story for me, I would be very very happy. I have one idea that will come in at the end of the story, but you could do whatever you wanted with it really, as long as it stays as m/a, and karaoke is involved occasionally. If you do want to do this for me, then please say so in a review, and also email me with your ideas. YOU MUST DO BOTH. I need to know what you want to do with it before I accept. So please, review, and then email im_a_minx@hotmail.com with your ideas, and a sample of your writing. 


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